MEMORIAL on the 50th Anniversary of the Kafr Qasem Massacre

Those Who Were Killed in the Northern Fields

I drew Ibrahim Isaa as I envisioned him just before the moment of his death. He was 35 years
of age and a handsome man judging by his photograph which I emulated here. Witnesses said that
he was leading the family flock assisted by three boys. Some say that he was sent to the
fields to quickly bring the boys home who were then watering the flock and knew nothing
of the impending curfew.* They were returning through the narrow dirt road which passed
through olive orchard and which was lined on both sides with cactus fencing. Suddenly,
they were confronted by Israeli border police shooting at them.

This is one of the early sketches showing the boy Abdallah Isaa who was 15 years old and was
using the traditional method of throwing little stones to keep the flock moving in the
right direction. The other boys were Abed Isaa, 9 years, and Sami Isaa.

The four members of the Isaa family were almost home when the Israeli
border police opened fire and shot Ihrahime Isaa in the head. When the shooting
stopped, the two boys, Abdallah and Sami Isaa, were left dead. Sami, who was in the rear of
the flock, survived and was able to give details of the event. He relayed that he had
turned back to get a straggling goat. When he heard the first shot, he spun around to see
Ibrahime’s body in the air with his kufiyye falling behind him.

Sami then heard more shots. He saw Abdallah fall to the
ground. Thus he also threw himself down to the ground as the goats provided protection.
He saw soldiers moving westwards while shooting. He expected to die. In time the goats began
to scatter and he was left exposed.

Suddenly he heard more shooting and heard Abdallah exclaiming: “Pain, my father, I am
dying.” Then he heard more shots and the painful moaning stopped. He then heard Abed
who was nine years old calling three times: “There is no diety but God” followed by
silence.

The soldiers returned with a dog who ran off and was sniffing Sami; but Sami's presence
was luckily not detected. The soldiers called the dog and it went to them and in the headlight
of their jeep, Sami saw them throw the three lifeless bodies of his family into their jeep
and leave.

Web posting and author: Samia A. Halaby,October 2006.

NOTE

* Please see the witness statements for sources that inform this essay.
Copyright, Samia A. Halaby, 1998, All rights reserved. To request permission to reproduce
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